Frequency: (120)
(number of times this surname appears in a sample database of 88.7 million names, representing one third of the 1997 US population)
1. German (Hesse, the Rhineland): from a short form of Jacob.
2. German: from a short form of a Germanic personal name composed with geba ‘gift’ (see Gapp 2).
3. of uncertain origin: Bahlow asserts that it is Frisian Tjappen, but equally it may be the Biblical name Japhet.
GIVEN NAMES: German 5%. Gerhard, Heinz.
See the Key to the Dictionary or consult the General Introduction for further explanation.
